From manufacturing movements, pioneering ultra-thin wristwatches to producing the finest jewelry in the world, Piaget has become one of the most prestigious luxury brands in the world. Piaget has had a 140-year journey to the top. Keep reading to learn about the beginning of the world-renowned brand.

Georges Edouard Piaget manufactured his first watch movement in 1874 in the Swiss Jura, home of the finest watchmakers in history. Piaget’s workshop first started producing the movements for well-known luxury watchmakers. Piaget was known for his high-precision movements and his reputation led to many successes.

As the Piaget family workshop grew and mastered its movement manufacturing, it was only natural to register the company officially and begin distribution of branded Piaget watches and movements. Though this didn’t happen until 1943, the company rapidly expanded under the direction of Gerald and Valentin Piaget.

In 1957, Piaget developed one of its brand icons and pioneered a watchmaking revolution with the Caliber 9P. The 9P is a hand-wound mechanical movement that is a mere 2mm thick. Then, 3 years later, Piaget released the Caliber 12P, the world’s thinnest automatic movement at 2.3mm thick. Piaget contributed greatly to the beginning of the ultra-thin watch movement and continues with this trend today, most notably with the Altiplano watch, a best-seller of the brand.

The revolutionary, ultra-thin movements also allowed for the development of another Piaget brand icon — the jewelry watch. Many jewelers have become watchmakers, like Cartier and Bulgari, but very few watchmakers have become jewelers like Piaget. When Piaget began making fashionable and precious jewelry-inspired watches, the transitioned seemed natural.

When Yves Piaget joined the family business as marketing and communications director in the 1960s, he brought a focus and passion for jewelry to the brand while maintaining a priority for watchmaking. Piaget brought a creativeness to watchmaking which involved the creation of coin watches, bracelet watches brooch watches, more — all precious and gorgeous in design not distinct from the high jewelry collections of the finest jewelers.

The watchmaker eventually expanded the jewelry side of the business to include, collections purely fine jewelry and high jewelry. The watchmaker continued its development of ultra-thin watch movements and, in 2005, manufactured the world’s thinnest tourbillon movement at 3.5mm thick. By producing brand new and innovative movements and designing the finest high jewelry collections, Piaget has become one of the most renowned luxury brands in the world.

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